I haven't posted for a couple of months but it's nice to be back.  While away my blog was selected as one of the top 100 wildlife photography blogs in the world, I suppose I should be impressed but I have been trying to work out what the catch is, there must be one or am I just being cynical.  I just needed to have a break from blogging for a while and also concentrate on a few other things in my life to get some balance back.  These last few days I have been getting out again, looking for Kingfishers and also trying to photograph Woodpeckers that I haven't really concentrated on before.  I really want to get some nice flight shots of Greater-spotted Woodpeckers because they have a really impressive wing pattern when in flight which you hardly see with the naked eye.  I know of a spot in Haldon Forest where there is a dead tree where I have photographed them before.  I have been going there this last few days and putting out some peanuts which they like. It took a while before they discovered the freebies but I was pleased when I could see that the peanuts were disappearing. I went this morning with the camera and set up under some camouflage overlooking the tree and it wasn't long before a young Woodpecker flew in followed by a female, probably it's mother and then a male.  So, not one woodpecker, but three!  

This was a good opportunity to see the difference between the three possible colour variations of this species.  I think I have said it before but this is surely one of the few species where the juvenile is arguably more colourful than it's parents.  The male has a small crimson patch on the nape of the neck, the female has no red on the head at all but the juvenile has a red cap.  Both adults have crimson on the lower belly and under the tail, however, the juveniles have just a hint of red there.  Here are some of the pictures of the juvenile taken this morning.